New Hampshire Teens Build Picnic Tables for Maine Marsh

A group of teenagers chose to spend their spring break building picnic tables and pulling weeds instead of sleeping in, and a Maine wildlife sanctuary is better for it.

Ten high school students from Exeter, New Hampshire, traveled to Scarborough Marsh Audubon Center last week as part of a week-long volunteer tour across Maine. The students arrived Monday morning ready to roll up their sleeves for the marsh and its visitors.

The group split into three teams, each tackling different projects around the nature center. One crew assembled a brand new picnic table under the guidance of volunteer George Mageles, with pre-cut wood materials prepared by Land Steward Liz Thibault. The same team also reorganized an equipment shed, leaving the picnic area with fresh amenities and spectacular marsh views.

A second team picked up paintbrushes to refresh educational displays around the center. They redesigned the bird wingspan activity, where visitors compare their own arm spans to the wings of marsh birds like herons and egrets.

The third group ventured onto the nature trail across the street for the toughest assignment. Despite swarms of mosquitos and black flies, they spent hours removing invasive species like Morrow's Honeysuckle and Oriental Bittersweet that were choking out native plants. Their work transformed an overgrown section of trail back into a walkable path.

After lunch and finishing touches, the students celebrated with frozen popsicles while learning about the birds that call the marsh home. They capped off the day with an educational walk along the Eastern Trail, discovering how salt marshes form and change over time.

The Ripple Effect

The students' single day of work will impact thousands of future visitors to Scarborough Marsh. The new picnic table provides a comfortable spot for families to enjoy lunch with marsh views. The freshly painted educational displays will teach countless children about local wildlife. The cleared trail section opens up nature access for hikers who might have turned back at the overgrown areas.

Their visit also modeled something powerful for their generation. These teenagers chose service over leisure, showing that young people care deeply about protecting natural spaces for everyone to enjoy.

The center is now looking for more volunteers to help with boat maintenance, visitor greeting, and special projects throughout the season.

One generation building for the next—that's environmental stewardship in action.